My name is Joe Sal. I am a newly sober alcoholic. I chose to finally take the time to step back from drinking after about 20 years of being a textbook functional alcoholic. I’ll admit it, I love to drink. I am not, and have not in the past, been in denial that I am an alcoholic. My wife had tried to talk to me many times over the years about my drinking. My vice has always won the argument. That liquid had me by the wrist and I couldn’t pull myself away. I needed the liquor, I needed the beer, I needed the buzz and the altered reality. I know that being a functional alcoholic is like playing with fire. I have huge guilt that my wife had to deal with an alcoholic husband and my kids had to endure an alcoholic father. I have felt terrible for years, and this is where my journey into recovery begins.
I have titled my journey as an alcoholic starting the recovery process as “The Functional Demise.” I am a true functional alcoholic. I hid it well. If you didn’t know that I drank, you wouldn’t have known that I drank. I never really hung out with people I work with, and the only social life I had was talking to a neighbor if we got along. And if that happened, we usually bonded over alcohol. I drank by myself mostly, and I loved it.
“The Functional Demise,” as the title of my website, is a way to remind myself to not go back to my alcoholic ways. The “Functional” aspect of the title tells me that, yes, I may be able to succeed as a functional alcoholic, that is if I never get caught doing something stupid. The “Demise” aspect reminds me that if I once again chose to go down the alcoholic road, it will eventually lead into my downfall, and eventual death. “The Functional Demise” reminds me that if I do not make a change, I would eventually potentially lose my Family, my career, my possessions, and eventually my life.
My intent of the website/ blog is to present my story so that others realize that regular people are dealing with struggles, whether it be alcoholism, other addictions, relationship issues, money issues, or anything else. We are all on this earth just trying to figure it out. I want to illustrate to you my alcoholic journey and my ongoing recovery process so that you may realize you are not alone. If you are struggling with alcohol, drugs, or anything else that you are functionally living through that could potentially bring you to your demise, I want to give us a platform where we can communicate, where we can help each other out. You are not alone, and I am here as a sounding board. Let’s get through the struggle together.
Joe Sal
functionaljoesal@gmail.com